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Coin Collecting for Dummies

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Can't make heads or tails out of coin collecting? You need "Coin Collecting For Dummies, 2nd Edition, " the treasure trove on information on numismatics. This hands-on guide escorts you through the world's oldest hobby, helping you decide which type of coins you want to collect, keep your collection in mint condition, buy and sell coins on the Internet, find interesting coin shows to attend, and assemble and diversify a great collection.The purpose of this fun, easy-to-access guide is to turn you into a world-class coin collector in as little time as possible. You'll learn what coins can teach you about history and geography, develop organizational and observational skills, and learn to use analytical tools, all without event thinking about it. And you'll learn the basics about ancient coins, U.S. coins, world coins, and the wild-and-wooly stuff that really gets your numismatic juices flowing. Discover how Start your collection correctlyEvaluate coins using age, condition, rarity, and moreBuy interesting coins without breaking the bankLocate rare and expensive coinsGet savvy about avoiding fakesGet the whole family involved in your collectionDevelop a buying strategyClean and handle coins safelyKeep your collection secure at home and on the roadInvestigate tokens, medals, and miscellaneous coinsCreate complete collections of copper, nickel, silver, or gold U.S. coinsWhen it comes to numismatics, "Coin Collecting For Dummies, 2nd Edition" is right on the money!

384 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 29, 2001

79 people are currently reading
128 people want to read

About the author

Neil Berman

3 books

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5 stars
40 (32%)
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46 (37%)
3 stars
27 (22%)
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6 (4%)
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3 (2%)
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
Profile Image for Bernie4444.
2,464 reviews11 followers
December 5, 2022
Everyone has to start somewhere

Usually, the “for dummies book” like a children’s book will give you fundamentals to get off the ground on a subject. However, this book is too fundamental and too broad, and too narrow at the same time. Not that it does not contain helpful information, however right from the beginning I could find no mention of Notgeld or any porcelain coins. Neither of the references addresses the subject. This leads me to believe that other vertical collection markets are not being addressed or even mentioned in this book.

The Author Ron Guth, however, is an expert and collector in many fields of coins that are not reflected in this book. I bought some Notgeld from him.
Profile Image for Garrett.
406 reviews5 followers
February 16, 2017
Yep, it's a book about collecting coins, mostly US coins.
Profile Image for Matt Guerra.
6 reviews
August 8, 2023
Great overview for a great hobby.

I was looking for a way into this hobby, having once collected wines as a kid. This was the perfect book to fit my needs. A great overview, with just enough information to get you started on your particular journey. As many have said, this is a “big tent hobby” with some thing for everybody. A guidebook such as this will certainly help you decide how you would like to approach the hobby. Packed with lots of interesting facts, clear warnings for the beginning collector, and even some humor sprinkled throughout. Highly recommend.
Profile Image for Michael.
Author 3 books6 followers
October 4, 2012
This is a great book, full of interesting information which is highly beneficial to anyone interested in collecting coins. It will be of especial interest to beginning coin collectors and casual coin collectors, as much of the information is fairly basic. But there is still a lot here that even a seasoned collector can sink his teeth into. I found the pictures and descriptions of coins, especially the rare ones, of particular interest.
Profile Image for Brent Barnard.
105 reviews7 followers
May 19, 2014
A really fun book, and again, a break from the books I normally read. As advertised, it is excellent for beginners. Just fyi, the emphasis in coin collecting (and thus the emphasis in this book) is US coins rather than coins from ancient Rome or the like (though the book has sections dedicated to those other interests as well).
Profile Image for Eye Summers.
108 reviews9 followers
September 22, 2014
Really informative for beginners like me. A good starting point & foundation for coins.
164 reviews
July 15, 2015

Very informative! Photographs galore to illustrate topic. Very little real technical discourse. Will use often for reference.
146 reviews1 follower
August 31, 2018

Can’t make heads or tails out of coin collecting? You need Coin Collecting For Dummies, 2nd Edition, the treasure trove on information on numismatics. This hands-on guide escorts you through the world’s oldest hobby, helping you decide which type of coins you want to collect, keep your collection in mint condition, buy and sell coins on the Internet, find interesting coin shows to attend, and assemble and diversify a great collection.


The purpose of this fun, easy-to-access guide is to turn you into a world-class coin collector in as little time as possible. You’ll learn what coins can teach you about history and geography, develop organizational and observational skills, and learn to use analytical tools, all without event thinking about it. And you’ll learn the basics about ancient coins, U.S. coins, world coins, and the wild-and-wooly stuff that really gets your numismatic juices flowing. Discover how to:



Start your collection correctly
Evaluate coins using age, condition, rarity, and more
Buy interesting coins without breaking the bank
Locate rare and expensive coins
Get savvy about avoiding fakes
Get the whole family involved in your collection
Develop a buying strategy
Clean and handle coins safely
Keep your collection secure at home and on the road
Investigate tokens, medals, and miscellaneous coins
Create complete collections of copper, nickel, silver, or gold U.S. coins

When it comes to numismatics, Coin Collecting For Dummies, 2nd Edition is right on the money!


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